Pictures for a Website

BSIM

Im in the process of setting up a website. I need 4 pictures to appear on the Homepage which are college related, students studying, lectures etc.

Where could I get pictures that I can legally use on my website and how much would I expect to pay for them?

qpd

Use a stock photo site, here's one that's not too expensive.

Kenny Logins

Try www.sxc.hu

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Or flickr creative commons section

Scruffles

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Try www.sxc.hu

also recommending this one,they have quite a few free stock photos available.

PhiliB

Try http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/?CTT=97 - they have a good selection of images which appear to be free to use.

Deliverance

BSIM wrote: »

Im in the process of setting up a website. I need 4 pictures to appear on the Homepage which are college related, students studying, lectures etc.

Where could I get pictures that I can legally use on my website and how much would I expect to pay for them?

To me the best option is that you could take your own photos, easy enough to do with your own or a borrowed camera? Just plan out the shots i.e. A photo essay approach would be a good way to go to really express the college experience in my opinion i.e. the photo essay takes the same story telling techniques as a normal essay, translated into visual images.

An example approach I might take would be:

Shot 1: Student entering college for first time: Express 'anticipation' in this shot (The start of it all). Try to capture real shots of this.

Shot 2: Student studying: Express 'concentration' with a close up of student studying (this is a focused time for the student). Try to catch real shots of this where you can.

Shot 3: Student mixing with classmates after an exam (this is when they are most communicative and excited) discussing questions on paper etc after the exam is over. Capture this where you can.

Shot 4: Graduation. (Family interaction expresses this event best) capture many shots of graduates and their families.

That to me is the best approach and option. Stock images always look like stock images and tend to look like a lazy dropped in approach.

Kenny Logins

Amateur shots would look even worse IMHO.

It is possible to find stock images that are very good quality without appearing 'generic'.

Deliverance

True enough. Depends on the approach and eventual result though. A combination of stock images would be incredibly hard to combine without looking like a 'lazy' stock image combo.

I can recognise them a mile off and mostly I find them at best cheesy due to their use. Each to their own though I guess. Personally: I did some work for a company and their site where I took lots of photos for them and they ended up using my photos for their site over the stock photos which they bought.

Every situation is different though, if your stuck then use stock.